


Whiskey and Sunshine

by sagethecannibabe



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, young mordecai
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:09:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 20,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26716534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sagethecannibabe/pseuds/sagethecannibabe
Summary: Once upon a blue moon, Mordecai met a girl at an interplanetary sharpshooting competition. After he was unfairly booted, the two lost contact. One year later, a chance meeting brings them back together.
Relationships: Mordecai/OC
Kudos: 5





	1. Whiskey and Sunshine

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy this! Exploring a young Mordecai’s personality has been such a blast!

“Hey, where’s they check in?” Mordecai’s voice broke the silence of the outpost, and the rather bored looking organizer of the even glanced upwards, it’s antennas twitching. Mordecai has seen this particular species before back home on Artemis; a bustling, but boring planet. It wasn’t well off for an ambitious young man like himself— he craved more. After spending most of his twenty-odd years searching, Mordecai had simply decided to stop asking and just start taking. 

He impatiently rapped his knuckles against the counter and sighed. What the fuck was taking so long? The creature looked up again, its multiple eyes blinking arrhythmically, like an alien housecat. This thing was so slow, it drove Mordecai practically insane; it pointed to a hallway that lead to an outside arena. There was no real registry or checkin, and Mordecai has simply wasted too much precious time talking to this asshole. “Thanks for the help, asshole.” Mordecai angrily grumbled, snatching his ammo bag and heading towards the arena.

The outside of the place was where the spectator seating was, a full-circle view of the competition from multiple angles. There were multiple basic targets set up, as well as an empty middle space for where there would assumedly be more cumbersome challenges. Now this was what Mordecai signed up for! He excitedly grinned, veering off to the left to chat idly with the other competitors and get in a little extra practice until the competition started.

Most of the others were aliens, with humans being the minority species. “Hey, name’s Mordecai. Good luck today.” His speech was short, but genuine and well meaning. He was an immaculate proprietor of good sportsmanship. Mordy wanted them to win— just after he got first place. As he walked and chatted with some of the others, he studied their movements; how one creature held their rifle near the back instead of dead center, even how the place seemed to move and creak with excitement at even the smallest gust of wind. 

When he came upon the final competitor, a walk-in from Promethea, Mordecai cleared his throat to grab her attention, making for an off-kilter shot that ricocheted off of a target and nearly went into one of the alien’s bodies. The way Mordecai saw it, the less competitors, the better. “Heh, sorry. Not too bad of shot otherwise, besides almost hitting someone. I’m Mordecai, just uh, I just wanted to wish you luck before it started. Though, it doesn’t really look like you need it, huh?” He could hear himself speaking and he sounded like an idiot. 

It would be a long moment before the girl finally turned around to acknowledge Mordecai’s presence, scowling at the missed shot. “Is this your plan? To distract your way into a win—“ She held her tongue and sighed. “— sorry. I’m Sage, last minute competitor.” She rubbed the back of her neck and glanced over towards where there seemed to be commotion. “And you said you were from where?”

Mordecai took note of that ending bit, the ghost of a smile appearing on his otherwise stoic face. He ran a hand through his clean mass of curls and chuckled. “I didn’t. I’m from Artemis- few star systems away from here. What about you, niña bonita?” He crossed his arms, watching as Sage scoffed and blew the compliment off. 

“I’m from Promethea.” The answer was short, as if there were more to the story. The girl dismissively threw her ponytail over her shoulder, but even she couldn’t quell the curiosity of a faraway planet. “Artemis, huh? I’ve always wondered if there’s an Apollo somewhere out there.” She said with a little grin. 

“A city girl, eh?” Mordecai snarked, tilting his head. “You’re a long way from home, sunshine.” He looked around, gesturing to the multiplicity of intergalactic beasts and humanoids. “Somethin’ tells me you came looking for trouble.” He stepped beside her, loading his rifle and aiming for one of the flying practice targets, watching the prop Rakk fall to the ground with a loud *thud*. The crowd seemed to like that! “Are they- are they placing bets up there?” He asked, nodding towards a leaderboard with names and prices.

Sage chuckled and glanced up, searching for her name. Her entire face lit up when she saw she’d placed third on the list. “Huh! People are willing to put a whooooole lot of money to watch me drag your ass through the dust~” She bantered playfully, quirking her eyebrows as she watched him work. “Not too bad of a shot, if you weren’t aiming for the target.”

Mordecai appreciated the fact that not only did this young upstart actually acknowledge he existed, but she had a pretty solid sense of humor and hadn’t shot him dead. “Why don’t you put your money where your mouth is, novio?” He clicked his tongue against his teeth and aimed again, only for the shot to be stolen by Sage’s quick hands.

“Whoops, hand slipped.” She would say, glancing in his direction and smiling before regaining her focus on the task at hand- no more time for distractions. She came to win. 

Mordecai snorted and didn’t move, instead garnering up what was left of his coherent thoughts and trying to make something of it. “Wanna place a bet of our own?” He asked suddenly, again causing Sage to lose focus and fudge the shot. She narrowed her eyes annoyedly, and Mordecai took it as a sign to go on.

“I win this thing, you let me buy you a drink.” He suggested. “What kind of fruity drink you like? You look like,” His eyes grazed over her form, pursing his lips like he was actually deep in thought. “You’re definitely a piña colada type of girl, aren’t you?” Mordecai seemed to already know how to get under her skin, seeing as she squirmed and angrily turned her face towards him. 

“Tequila!” Sage scoffed, putting one hand on her hip and rolling her eyes. “And fine, FINE! I’ll take your stupid bet if it makes you shut up and stop distracting me,” Despite having sounded indignant, she was grinning from ear to ear. “What happens if I win?”

“You get the bragging rights to say you’ve beaten me,” Mordecai retorted in a cocky manner. The five minute alarm went off and he stepped forward, looking down to meet Sage’s eyes as she confidently looked up. “What do you say, city snob? Why not show a lowly hunter like me how you do it?”

Sage wrinkled her nose, then stuck out her hand. “Alright, Mordecai. You’ve got yourself a bet. Good luck out there, I can’t rub my success in your face if you’re dead.” She said, laughing softly. “But I won’t take it easy on you, I’m not that meek of a target, honey.” She narrowed her eyes. “We’ve got a bet?”

“We’ve got a bet, pretty girl.”


	2. Tequila and a Second Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If it isn’t you again!

—  
“Delta November 649, this is Silent Riot reporting in. Made contact on target planet Pandora. I’m heading in now, expect no contact for a while.” 

The echo cut off without another word, and the traveler stepped, for the first time, onto the grounds of Pandora and took a deep breath. It smelled like shit, gunpowder, and decay. Great. Her first odd job in days, and it had to be on this shithole. Sage groaned lowly and pulled her hood up over her head, starting off towards the east.

There had been word of some aggressive individuals located on this planet, and the twenty something had been tasked with raiding the encampments and burrows of their contents, intel, anything that could be of use to the Dahl corporation- easy in, easy out. After the competition, she’d found herself bored, with too much money. What else was a girl to do? Since her drinking partner had gone missing in action, Sage partied alone nowadays. She’d always kept his image in the back of her mind, hoping one day they’d cross paths and he could perhaps buy her that drink.

Mordecai. He’d told her his name was Mordecai. 

She shook her head clear of invasive thoughts, as she could hear commotion coming from up ahead- it seemed a team of nomads and psychos had come to welcome the girl to Pandora. It was clear she’d never stepped foot on this planet before, judging by her brightly colored attire.

Sage was a walking, gun toting, Pepto Bismol-colored target. These guys couldn’t wait to carve a roast out of her chest cavity; She could see them pacing, staring at her with eyes so cold and lifeless they seemed to bore through her skin. Sage disappeared quickly behind the cover of some barrels, feeling around for a grenade somewhere. She knew she had them- where did they go?!

Damn it! Sage was running out of time and she could hear shots being fired already; she didn’t notice, but they sounded rather far off to be coming from the horde of psychos. The number of bandits dwindled, and Sage was able to remain covered as she decided to forego grenades and focus with her pistol. 

Boom!

This time, Sage could clearly see that her shot had been stolen by someone, hidden amongst the trees- she was frightened at first, but they... seemed to be helping her? She was certainly confused, and now, intrigued. This planet was made for rabble and people too stupid to go somewhere else. She didn’t expect to be helped by a mysterious benefactor. Sage was miffed every shot was stolen, but, they’d kept her alive and she couldn’t complain much.

“Hey, dickweed! Save a shot for me?” Sage yelled in the general direction of the rogue sniper, offering a middle finger instead of a thank you. Whatever, asshole. The loot was hers, and that was what mattered! Hah! Sage was busy basking in her endless glory when the snipe took another shot, this time sending it scratching against her ear and drawing a little bit of blood. Her blood ran hot in her veins, and she shot a fierce look.

”ALRIGHT YA SONUVABITCH! It is ON!”

Whoever wanted her attention sure as hell got it. Sage furiously pressed her palm against her bleeding ear and growled, snatching up a shotgun and cocking it as loudly as possible. She was going to march right up there and show whoever was on the other side of that scope who they were messing with.

Except, she couldn’t find the vantage point. There were a ton of high areas, with dense trees and foliage that made it difficult to see anything at all. “Come on out! You’re afraid of some chick in pink pants and high tops? HA!” She was getting a little nervous, and the incessant rambling with proof that they were successfully getting under her skin. “C-come on, you coward!”

BOOM!

Another shot, this time, the bullet landing somewhere near her feet. What the fuck! Sage turned and looked up, spotting a set of vaguely familiar eyes staring back at her from the treetops. She screamed loudly, scaring off a flock of Rakk and leaving her alone with the person who’d been stalking her this entire time.

“Scared of a lobo solitario, little red?” That stupid voice again! 

“It’s— you?” Sage stumbled over her words, automatically straightening up her face and huffing under her breath. “Were you trying to kill me back there, asshole?” She growled, crossing her arms over her chest. “You stole all my shots!”

Mordecai laughed and slung downwards from the tree, holding onto the lower branch and swinging. Sage took one look at his attire and shrieked.

“Oh my god, are you wearing assless chaps?!”

He didn’t seem to mind that she insulted his clothing, considering she looked more like she was dressed for a tennis match than ruthless murder. “Nice to see you after, what, a year? Been a while, mija. Nice game of chase~” Mordecai responded, leaning on his gun for support and giving her a fair once-over. “Looks like your aim hasn’t gotten any better. What’s a girl like you doing on a planet like this? This isn’t Promethea, niña bonita. This planet’ll suck you dry.”

Sage rolled her eyes. “Thank you so much. And since you’re so concerned with my whereabouts, I’m on a job. I’m collecting shiny rocks and taking them back to someone who will give me cash money. And then I go buy real clothing and not- god, those chaps are offensive. My retinas are literally burning.” She scoffed and wrinkled her nose. 

“Shiny rocks, eh?” Mordecai cocked an eyebrow. “You sound like a busy gal. Who ya workin’ for?” He was more concerned about the possibility of her being after him than anything else. He studied her reaction closely. “What’s so funny, huh?” He asked, furrowing his eyebrows together in annoyance. “I’ll take you back to my campout and see if you’re still laughing then!” Mordecai scoffed.

Once Sage had ceased her laughter, she stood all the way up and giggled again. “It’s just an odd job from someone who works at the Atlas R&D department, okay dad?” She rolled her eyes. “And yes. I’m doing fine, thank you for asking. So flattered you care- besides, don’t you owe me my victory drink for whopping your skinny ass in the sharpshooting competition last year?” It was impossible to tell, but she was melting. What a chance meeting!

Mordecai couldn’t help but smile- He wasn’t able to forget her name or voice after he left the competition suddenly. It was nice, and unlikely, that she actually remembered him! “Welll, mija, I would’ve owed you a drink if you’d actually won. I won, but then the putas running the place disqualified me for,” He sighed angrily. Even talking about it riled him up. “Unsportsmanlike conduct. So I came here, decided to take what I was owed instead of waiting it to be given.”

“What the fuck? I thought you’d just ditched.” Sage sheepishly scratched the back of her head. “Not that it matters. What have you taken so far?” She cocked an eyebrow and shook her head, laughing at his optimism. “You gonna show me your camp out or was that another dull threat~?” She loudly clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. 

“Heh, no. I’m a man of my word. If you would’ve actually won, no problem.” He chuckled and widened his grin, taking the lead as she eagerly followed. “Just some guns and more cash than you can wrap your little mind around. I’m rich, baby!” Mordecai gloated in response. “Alright, alright! Eager to hang out with ol’ Mordecai, huh? I do that to women.” He took an obnoxious delight at seeing her cheeks darken. “Aren’t the mines that way?” He pointed somewhere to the left, and Sage shrugged in response.

“I literally just got here!” She argued defensively, following Mordecai up the side of a ravine to a little, nicely hidden campsite. “Jesus Christ, dude. Just trying to get in here is a workout-“ She brushed off her dirtied clothes and ambled along, shooting handfuls of spiderants reluctantly. “I hate bugs I hate bugs oh my god-“ She groaned loudly, trying to speed up. “-Can you walk ANY slower!”

Mordecai slowed down considerably, shoving her up ahead as he took the back, finishing off the angry, dead bugs. “You know, for someone who ‘kicked my skinny ass’, you sure are a fuckin’ priss. Just hide behind the big bad wolf, little red. I got you.” He sounded like he was being both genuine and somewhat playful, just trying to ease her frazzled nerves. “We’re almost there, okay? What’s your poison again? You said, ah, tequila right?” Just keep her talking.

“Hehe, yeah, but I don’t think you can afford my kind of tequila, hot shot.” Sage quipped, finally able to breathe once they reached the campsite and the gentle smell of smoke filled her nose. “So this is your casa, huh? Not too shabby, not too shabby.” She nodded and sat around the fire, stretching her legs out and warming her hands. “So, why am I here again?” Sage laughed softly and looked over- the sunset was starting to make its way down, and the rays painted over Mordecai’s body. He looked... different in that light. Almost peaceful.

Mordecai wouldn’t say it, but he was always mesmerized by sunsets and good company- in that order. He would grab a bottle of liquor from a small alcohol cooler and throw it Sage’s direction, joining her to watch the sunset. “Nice view, isn’t it?” He asked softly, letting his legs dangle over the edge of the vantage cliff. He wasn’t necessarily talking about his view of the Pandoran sunset; he’d seen it a thousand times.

But her? Only twice, and the way the dying sun danced on her waves of auburn hair caught his attention. She looked far off, like she was thinking about something. “Yeah. Almost makes the planet seem likable from my standpoint. How’s it all the way up there?” Mordecai was a full foot taller than her.

“Beautiful.” He responded, smiling tenderly. “I’ll drink to that.”


	3. Brandy and a Memory

-  
Sage glanced Mordecai’s way when he said that, her eyebrows quirked in interest. “Seems to me like you’ll drink to just about anything,” She smiled tenderly and focused again on the setting sun. “What about tomorrow?” She asked. “I was only planning to stay on this planet a few days, buuuut-“ 

“- but?” Mordecai liked where this was headed; not because she was attractive and charming, but she was simply very fun to be around. She was funny and clever, with a sharp tongue that could handle his l digs and jabs. He liked talking to her.

Also, she was attractive and charming; that was an easy bonus. Mordecai never had a problem with woman, but this one? He had thought about her often in the year they were separated, he wanted to take advantage of every moment they could snatch. 

“But, if you insist, I suppose I could extend my drop-in for a few days, lie to my temporary boss and still get paid,” Sage said. It was nighttime now, with the air crisp and cool, almost chilly. “Unless you’re just hankering for me to leave.” She winked and felt for her gun. “What do you say we take ourselves a night walk? Make up for some lost time, cause lots of trouble?” She suggested, anxiously tucking her hands into the pocket of her jeans.

Mordecai smiled, grabbing her arm and dragging her past the smoldering fire. “I say I’m seven steps ahead’a you, babe,” He said, nodding towards a set of old, abandoned mines not too far ahead. “I heard if you venture far enough, there’s a bunch of good shit in those mines,” He whistled tauntingly. “Unless you’re too scared, then in that case I’ll just have to explore alone~” He smirked, clicking his tongue obnoxiously loud against his teeth. 

Sage huffed, her cheeks puffed out in irritation as she clutched her pistol. “Well, lead the way, Space Cowboy,” She quipped, not mentioning how he was still holding onto her arm- or perhaps she didn’t mind. “Mines, huh? Oughta be some fuckers to kill.” Sage sounded excited at the thought of murder. “Unless you’re too scared, then in that case, stand behind me.” Sage mocked, following Mordecai’s lead. “Waaaait! Are you taking me here to serially murder me?” She gasped lightly. “A mine isn’t much of a place for a first date.”

Mordecai snorted at the insinuation, and shook his head. “You’re somethin’ else, little red. I thought the competition was the first date? How’m I supposed to put the moves on you now?” He felt drunk, despite not having had anything for at least a solid hour (a new record!). He laughed when Sage cracked up, doubling over when she began snorting. 

“M-m-moves? Pfffttthaha-“ Her face was bright red from lack of oxygen. “-oh, Mordy, you KILL me. First with the-“ She started laughing again, vaguely gesturing to his pants. “-assless chaps and then, and then you say you’re going to put the moves on me? Hehe.” Her laughter was incredibly loud, and to most people it’d be considered obnoxious. 

Mordecai decided, right then and there, if he could manage to make her laugh at least one more time by night’s end, he could die tomorrow and feel complete. That laughter and bright, radiant smile- he felt like it was all for him. He couldn’t see the color of her hair, or the way Sage’s hazel eyes seemed to sparkle when she spoke, but he could see her, so bright and colorful despite the view only being black and white. The view was pleasant nonetheless.

He didn’t realize Sage had been talking the entire time until she’d turned to face him, smiling. “What do you think?” Judging by the look on his face, he didn’t. “Wow,” She mouthed, rolling her eyes. “Are you saying my conversation bores you? Or you just can’t retain anything?” 

“Yes,” Mordecai sputtered, playfully shoving her to the side. “What is gonna take for some peace and quiet?” They were quickly approaching the abandoned mine, and she had been right about there being people to take care of. The entrance was flooded with security, assuredly from a company like Torgue or Dahl, one of the smaller ones. Hyperion was still a medium-sized organization, and Maliwan? So tiny, they were considered negligible. “What do you say we hold a competition of our own, little red?” He purred.

Sage smirked, her head snapping his direction. “Oh yeah? And what’s the wager, hot shot?” She was already loving the idea of going toe to toe with him again. They’d missed a year’s worth of conversation and laughter, but it seemed they’d picked up right where they’d left off. Maybe she could stay with him? Travel together, just the two of them against the universe... it was idealistic and could be considered wishful thinking, but the thought enchanted her. “I have an idea, but you’re not gonna like it.”

He bit his lip, scoping them a vantage point and leading her to it. “Yeah? What, I have to cover myself in honey and go streaking past a varkid nest?” Mordecai chuckled. 

“If you lose you have to kiss me.” Sage blurted out, not looking him in the eyes. 

Mordecai, for a split second, forgot how to function. Sure, he thought about it- but, could he do it now that the chips were down? He was never, ever one to turn down a challenge. 

“Issa deal, Red. Now start shootin’ if you really want that kiss.”


	4. Red Wine and a Warm Night

—

Sage popped her head into the mouth of the cavern, whining softly under her breath. She couldn’t see further than an arm’s length in front of her and reluctantly stepped into the mine, keeping close to Mordecai. “I’m guessing this is a bad time to tell you I’m claustrophobic, isn’t it?” She chuckled nervously, keeping one hand taut on her pistol and the other digging into Mordecai’s arm. 

She could tell the place was swarming with bugs- nasty, disgusting, juicy bugs. A horde of larvae crab worms were making their way from underground and headed towards the two steadily. Sage screeched loudly at the sight of them, only drawing more attention to herself, and to her companion. 

Thankfully, Mordecai had dealt with this before. He dug his heels into the dirt, taking a few shots with his sniper without using the scope. He was showing off, splattering larvae worm matter over the walls of the cavern, and, unfortunately, all over Sage. She looked horrified at the sight of green goop covering her hair, face, and clothing, but tried not to let on that she was immensely disgusted. 

Mordy whipped his head to the side and looked at Sage eagerly, a wide grin tugging at his face. He looked incredibly proud of himself and the mess he’d caused. “What, you scared of some little crab worms? Wait until you see the spiderants~” He said cockily. “Oh, and uh, ya got a little somethin’-“ Mordy gestured to the bug innards on her face.

“You *suck*!” Sage responded with a huff, wiping the gunk off with her sleeves and shuddering. “Maybe you oughta watch your aim and I wouldn’t have bug goop all over my EVERYTHING.” She complained, not even wanting to think about how much of the gross stuff had gotten into her hair, but had no choice but to follow Mordecai nonetheless. She was the first to notice the sparkling, tantalizing clusters of purple crystal stick out of the ground. Eagerly, Sage slapped Mordecai’s arm until he finally saw what she was excitedly pointing at.

“Y’know, I felt that the first eighty six times, niña bonita. What’s tha- oh shit... oh SHIT! Is that Eridium?” Mordecai’s eyes were wide. Unfortunately, the noise the two had made fighting off the crabworms, as well as their lively chatter, had garnered quite a bit of unwanted attention. The caverns were rife with bandits and psychos, most of which had built shelter inside of the cave.

Pop! 

Gunshots had already started ringing out before they’d had a chance to celebrate- apparently, they weren’t the only ones who’d known about the Eridium. Of course they weren’t; it was most likely the reason the bandits had even moved into the place. This was certainly more Sage’s forte, and she did not hesitate to start shooting, no rifle or scope necessary.

This was her territory now. While she was distracted by the psychos, Mordecai noticed that they’d again riled up the underground fauna. He stood back to back with her, knocking out the bugs while she handled the rest; an apology without apologizing. He could have simply taken Sage, hidden, and allowed the creatures to do the hard work, but that wouldn’t have been as fun. Once Mordecai had finished off his half, he took to Sage’s side and grinned, noting how she finished off each and every one of those bastards off with finesse.

“You ain’t done with those guys yet, slowpoke?” Mordecai teased, although truthfully he was impressed by how succinctly Sage was able to work; it wasn’t any wonder she’d been able to take him head on in the competition. “Come on, pretty girl, hurry it up. We ain’t got all night!” He snapped his fingers right behind her ear, much to her chagrin. Since the sun had set completely, the only available light came from the torches that lined the side of the caves, and the bonfires of the encampments.

Sage ignored Mordecai’s comment and ventured freely into the camp, stripping a salvageable rifle from one of the burning men. “Not as nice as yours is, but it’ll do for now. Maybe I’ll fix it up tomorrow morning, if I’m still breathing,” She said, inspecting it. Dahl manufactured, light grey, and lightweight. It was perfect for these caves, but lacked firing speed. She’d make do with it- they still had plenty of area to cover and, to her displeasure, plenty of killer insects to slaughter. “I hope, for your sake, that you were- hey! What are you doing?! Are you taking that Eridium shit?”

She immediately forgot about the gun and trotted quickly to where Mordecai was, slamming the butt of his gun against the hunk of crystal and collecting the shards, stuffing them into every pocket he could manage. “While you were looting and taking all the good guns, I was busy hustling for these Eridium pieces. They’re worth money, ‘n I’m willing to bet there’s way more where that came from further in.”

Mordecai cut through the camp, kicking aside scrap and bodies to make the way easier. Sage opted for the higher route, using storage units as leverage to get the upper hand on whatever lay ahead of them. He would allow her that, giving her a lead on every kill and shot; at least she wasn’t screaming anymore and drawing even more attention to the very, very bad thing they were doing. They were robbing the place blind of their Eridium, and that was going to piss off a lot of people also interested in what the abandoned mines held, not to mention Mordecai’s promise of better loot.

The way ahead was pitch black, without even the torches to guide them. Mordecai didn’t seem to mind, pressing on through the darkness with Sage nervously trailing behind. He looked back every so often to make sure she was still there- not that he cared or anything. He heard her whimper once they’d ventured about sixty feet deeper, and cocked his head in worry. He hadn’t thought any of this through: the possibility that she could be afraid of both the dark and small spaces. “Hey, little red, how are you holding up?” Mordecai asked, his voice softer and more gentle than their previous conversation. 

“Ye-ye-yea-yeah.” Sage mumbled, her chest violently tightening. “The-the-the dark is-is ju-ju-just m-m-making everything small-small-smaller.” She didn’t want to look weak in front of her friend, but she was starting to panic. Anxiously, Sage began scratching at her wrist. 

Mordecai smiled, his grin visible even in the darkness. He felt a twinge of guilt for pulling Sage so deep into the place, but he knew he could make it worth her while, even if his company was more than enough for her. “Come on, we’re almost there. I can feel it,” He reached her her hand and grabbed it, while she weakly stumbled behind. “Then I promise, we’ll grab what we can and bust our asses outta here and I will get you more drunk than you’ve ever been in your life. Deal, mija? But you gotta make it outta here first~” 

He couldn’t see it, but Sage smiled. “D-deal!” Her voice was still broken and shaky, but she sounded a great deal calmer than just a few moments before. She sniffled, squeezing Mordecai’s hand for reassurance, and was pleasantly surprised when he squeezed back. Maybe she’d be okay- he was clearly braver than her when it came down to the mines. 

“Just hold onto me and you’ll be okay,” Mordecai would quip, nodding just a few dozen meters up ahead. “I can see something sparkly up there- at least I think it’s sparkly?” He scratched the back of his neck and picked up the pace, walking quickly while Sage struggled to keep up, practically jogging as he walked. “What, your lil’ stub legs can’t keep up?”

“Bitch.” Sage grumbled in response, slapping Mordecai on the arm as they finally approached the clusters of Eridium. They completely lined the walls, the ground, some even were large enough to prod into the ceiling. Those, they wouldn’t be able to take right away. But the rest? 

Well, nobody was around to object. Mordecai didn’t waste any time, pounding his bony knuckles against the dense mineral and smirking proudly as the pieces fell into his hands. “This has to be worth thousands of dollars, or at least a solid two grand.” He forced more of the stuff into his knapsack as Sage started on a smaller piece, pistol whipping it to bits. 

“So no guns, but hey, we got a shit ton of money where-where we could probably buy ANY gun we wanted.” Mordy commented, although he was sure that the statement wasn’t completely true. “Oh, wait! I would’ve gotten a gun, except you stole it while I was laboring.” He scoffed. Sage giggled, gathering together a few crystals of her own and sticking them into her backpack. She wasn’t sure what she would do with them when she left-

Sage didn’t want to think about the inevitability of her leaving; right now, there were much better things to worry about. “You know, I was thinking of modifying the one I took off that bandit earlier. I’m betting I can melt this Eridium down and, I don’t know, make an uber sexy purple weapon?”

“An elemental gun, eh? Sounds ambitious, dangerous, and likely to kill you. Count me in.” Mordecai said excitedly. “You have to promise you’ll let me be the first to test it, though. I wouldn’t want you breaking your own gun.” He snorted and nudged her, nodding back towards the bleak darkness of the cave. “You had about enough fun for the day, niña bonita?”

Sage noticed something oval-shaped in her peripheral vision, grabbing Mordecai’s attention in the process. “Hey, you see that thing?” She made her way towards it and saw it was an egg of some sort. “Huh, wonder what creepy crawly this could be.” She gently picked the egg up, cocking her head. “I haven’t seen eggs like this before.” 

Mordecai placed his hands over hers to support the rather heavy egg. “Trash eaters are native birds to Pandora, and if anything, those dickhead bandits probably cleared the mother and the rest of the chicks out.” He sighed softly, unsure of what to do with it. “Sage... why are you looking at me like that?” He already knew what she was going to say. 

“You should keep it!” Sage said, overlooking the egg. “You know, raise it as your own.” She glanced down at her shoes. “Maybe you can train it to do cool shit like, like uhh, like rip people’s eyes out!” Sage was already walking ahead, eager to exit the cave. “Or we can make a singular scrambled egg and feed the both of us for like, a thousand years.”

Mordecai’s stomach churned at the idea of scrambling that poor thing- at least before it had a chance to piss him off. “And when did you start making decisions for me?” He asked, chuckling softly. “Alright, alright, I’ll keep it, but if it rips my eye out like you say it will, I’m blaming you.” When they reached the narrow, completely dark area of the cavern, Mordecai pushed her in front and led from behind, one hand comfortingly placed in hers. “I’m right here, alright, Sage? Nothin’s getting to you tonight.”

His words calmed Sage’s racing heart, and her clammy palms only made him tighten his grip. Mordecai was nearly running, wanting to get her and the egg out of the claustrophobic caverns. Every single one of Mordy’s senses were on high alert, especially considering how tense Sage was. “We’re almost out, mija. I can see the bandit torches from here.” He pointed towards the tiny sliver of flames lining where they’d come from. “We are so close, don’t give up on me now.” Mordecai spoke tenderly, his voice low and soothing. 

Sage held the Trash Eater egg on her hip, pressed snug against Mordecai while he took care of the spiderant nest that blocked their path; after that, nothing but clear skies and a cool night. They’d finally made their way out of the cave, now richer than either of them could’ve imagined. Sage now had a gun to play with, and Mordecai had a new pet. He couldn’t lie, the idea of having another companion on the road with him? It was a tantalizing thought. “I, I uh, didn’t bring an extra sleeping bag with me. I have a tent, but-“ His cheeks were burning. “- you’re gonna have to shack up with me for the night.” Mordecai put his hands in his pockets and looked up, gazing in wonder at the splatters of stars. He nudged her, pointing towards an itty, bitty, hardly noticeable twinkle in the darkness. “See that? That’s Artemis, where I’m from.” Mordecai said, smiling fondly. “Maybe some day I can take you there.”

The woman would glance over, an odd smile tugging at her lips. She liked the idea of that, traveling with Mordecai. She enjoyed his company, his constant protection... his stupid, arrogant sense of humor. Sage could take everything he dished, and he was loyal where it counted. “Yeah? That means you’d have to share a tent with me for a while, you do know that right?” The egg was getting heavy, and Sage was absolutely exhausted from the eventful day she’d had. It must’ve been midnight by the time they’d actually left the caverns, perhaps a little later. 

Mordecai shrugged. “Could be worse.” He had so much more he wanted to say, but opted to hold his tongue for the night. He’d already pushed his luck dragging her through a cave full of murderous creatures and tight spaces. “Y’know, all things considered, today hasn’t been too bad. I really missed you.” He invited her into the very small sleeping area and flopped down on a messy pile of clothes, blankets, and whatever else he could scrounge together to try and keep warm. He hadn’t made plans for a guest.

A guest who’d hopefully stay a while. Sage would look around the mess, wrinkling her nose for a split second. “God, I am so tired. Can I cash a rain check for those drinks? I’ll make mimosas in the morning to make it up,” She plopped down on what would assumedly be her side of palette, kicking off her bright colored footwear. “And if I’m able to sneak back to base, I’ll... grab some more blankets. Maybe a pillow? Who hurt you?”

Mordecai laughed at the barrage of questions. He threw his gear to the far side of the tent, stripping off his shirt and leaving his pants and boots on. He was always ready to go in case they were attacked. He made a tiny nest with a bundle of laundry for the egg, and set it on Sage’s side of the tent, closer to the quietly crackling fire. “I wouldn’t be opposed to a pillow, maybe a few of those nice throw blankets if you can.” He joked, laying next to her and propping his head on his hand. 

Sage ducked away a moment, sliding into some more comfortable clothing under the makeshift blankets. “Tonight was a lot of fun, Mordecai.” She said earnestly, her eyes heavy and drooped. “You’re, um, really cool. Thank you for having my back in the caves. I would’ve had a meltdown if it weren’t for-“ She cut herself off by yawning. “-you.” They were silent for a moment, both of them lost in their thoughts. 

Sage smiled weakly and turned over, managing a hushed and slurred ‘goodnight’. She would pass out almost immediately, her body slowly rising and falling as she slept. Now that someone was with him, Mordy found it much, much easier to fall asleep. Alone, he would’ve laid awake for hours, thinking about both nothing and everything. 

He respectfully turned the other way, a stupid little smile on his face. He could go for more nights like this- the two of them going on adventures every single day. They had the entire universe to explore and their whole lives ahead of them. 

“Goodnight, Sage.” He mused. It was odd, but for the first time, Mordecai had found himself thinking further into the future than just tomorrow. Eventually, he slipped into a deep and heavy sleep, swirled with dreams that he was sure to not remember. 

Of course, hours later, Mordecai woke up. His body would never allow him more than a few hours of sleep at a time. He blinked awake, feeling an odd source of warmth wrapped around him. Sage, at some point during the night, had turned over and pulled him to her, their legs tangled together underneath. He melted in her arms, trying to glance at her from his position.

“Well, fuck. I guess I’m really not movin’ now.”


	5. cold morning

Mordecai eventually rolled out of bed after another hour, the brisk cold an unwelcome change from Sage’s warmth. He groaned, blinking groggily and glancing over his shoulder to assure his movements hadn’t roused her from the sweet hold of sleep. Her chest rose and fell softly, but Sage remained unconscious. Although he usually would have skipped breakfast on a whim, Mordy figured now that he had a temporary companion, he may as well try to be nice.

Mordecai threw some debris and branches into the pile, fanning the fire as flame began slowly overtaking the deadfall. His stomach churned as he tried thinking of something to try and cook; it may not taste good, but it would keep them alive. He didn’t have much, seeing as he only ate when absolutely necessary and even then... Ick. After a moment of thinking, he found some fresh skag meat and threw it over a pan covered in used foil. The meat popped and sizzled, smoke floating from the fire.

He tossed a glance over his shoulder when he heard the tent unzip, chuckling softly as Mordecai watched Sage slowly make her way out, still wrapped in one of the blankets from the previous night. “Mmmmh,” She whined in lieu of a greeting, groggily rubbing her eyes as she joined at his side. She whined again, thudding her head against his shoulder and fluttering her eyes shut for a second. Mordecai snickered and wrapped one arm around her shoulders, using his free hand to ruffle her messy red hair. “He-heyyyy!” Sage groaned, her voice still heavy and tired. “You’re gonna burn the food. It was the only reason I got up.” She sat down near the fire to get warm and to revel in the smell of the cooking food. 

“Good morning to you, too,” Mordecai responded with a snort, flipping the skag meat over with his bare hands. “There is, uh, champagne and orange juice in a little cooler if you wanna whip up those mimosas you were talkin’ about earlier?” He mumbled, glancing over to see Sage fidgeting with her echo, humming and tapping a few buttons. “Must be important if you’re ignoring me and my generous offer.” The young woman responded with a proper middle finger, glancing up and rolling her eyes. 

“You know, I DO have a job, right? I’d like to be paid for it- those rocks we found in the mine were exactly what he was looking for.” Sage explained. “I said I found them, and Henry Dahl is supposed to be sending a drop off location soon,” She shrugged, watching as Mordecai took the food off the fire. “I’m sending him a little under my best guess of what a half pound is.”

Mordecai wasn’t really listening, even as Sage went into more detail about the dirty work. “You aren’t leaving, are you?” He asked, furrowing his eyebrows together worriedly. “I mean, you’re a free woman and all, but I figure you’d wanna spend as much time with me as you can~” He played it off coolly, although his cheeks burned a deep red. “Seeing as you came all the way to Pandora just to find me.” He offered her a slice of meat, and she hastily grabbed at it, hissing as the meat singed the tips of her fingers. Mordecai laughed watching Sage struggle with the food. “Awww, what’s the matter? Hothead can’t take a little heat?”

Sage huffed and threw the ‘bacon’ in the air, catching it in her mouth and slugging Mordecai on the arm. “It’s too early for this shit, Mordy.” She grumbled through a mouthful of food, staring while he joined her. “You’re not going to eat?” Her voice was twinged with concern, but he simply laughed it off and sat next to her, basking in the warmth of the fire and how... good this all felt. Mordecai felt happy!maybe traveling alone for so long had finally gotten to him? He lightly kicked at Sage’s foot as she stared tiredly into the fire, garnering her attention.

“So, I’m thinkin’, once you’re done eating, we could head up to this lil’ hot spring about an hour away from here, maybe give you a personal tour of Pandora while we wait for our next job to come in?” Mordecai suggested, gnawing slowly on his piece of bacon while Sage worked on making them their prized drinks. “If you’re up for it.” His smile was infectious, it tugged naturally on the sides of his face, making Sage grin in return as she passed him a flute of alcohol, wedging her way under his arm. 

“Are you sure you’re not the one wanting to spend time with me? Breakfast, mimosas, and a hot spring? Sounds like you’re trying to seduce me,” Sage snorted. “Anyways, cheers to one hell of a good reunion.” Eagerly, they clinked their glasses together and drank, finishing at almost the same time. This was the way things were supposed to be- just two people having fun, enjoying each other’s company without a care in the world about the threats that constantly looked over them. Everything was okay, at least for now; the both of them knew, in the back of their minds, that this period wouldn’t last forever, and they were desperate to make the most of the time they had.

Sage grabbed a quick change of clothes before leaving, jogging quickly to catch up with Mordecai. “Wanna race?” She would quip as the two walked, despite not knowing where the hot springs was located. “I’ll give you a head start since I don’t know where I’m going- hey!” It seemed that Mordecai had taken her up on her challenge and had already completely smoked her, his boots kicking up dust as he led the way, with Sage hot on his heels. He was used to running- her? Not so much.

She was panting heavily once they’d broken through a woodsy area, to where a giant crater full of water greeted them. “Oh, shit, isn’t this beautiful?” She murmured through gasps of air.

“Doesn’t hold a candle you.” Mordecai spat out, not quite understanding where the outburst had come from. 

“Wh-what?” Sage ceased to think, her hands tugging at the hem of her shirt.

“What? Nothing- you gonna get in the water?”


	6. tears and cheap beer

Mordecai took a deep breath and put his hair up, then took a small step into the steamy springs, groaning in delight as the warm water helped his lanky body relax. He didn’t mind the fact that his pants were soaked to their core- he was just happy nobody was shooting. He was not much a fan of water that he couldn’t see through, and this water was crystal clear; it was what had attracted him to it.

Mordecai looked over at Sage, waiting for the woman to join him, but she only had her feet in the water. “No way, I did not bring you all the way here just for you to stick a toe in. C’mon, soleado~” He cooed, chuckling at her hesitance and wrapping his hands around both arms, tugging them and yanking her in full force.

“NOOOOO! EEEEK!” 

Sage flailed and went under, and if Mordecai hadn’t been able to see her, he would have been worried. Moment later, a messy turret of red hair and spite came back up for air, gasping and sputtering. She slapped his bare chest playfully, huffing. “I hate you! I hate you so fucking much!” She splashed him, but it wouldn’t do much, seeing as it was weak and only splattered a short distance. Despite having been pulled into a steaming pool of water, Sage grinned ever wider. “See who helps you if you get shot! Not me, not Sage-“

“BAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHA! Time to pound some meat puppies!”

The scream of the psycho was too loud not to be noticed by the two, and they shared a unified look of annoyance; they were having so much fun! Sage’s face quickly changed as she pulled herself out, careful not to alert the psycho to their position in the water. “Hey, ready for round two of trying to beat me at my own game?” She was already feeling around for her pistol, but time was short.

Mordecai was already ten steps ahead, headed barefoot through the same way they’d come in. He was still barefoot, soaking wet, and ready to kill. He clutched his sniper close to his chest, listening intently for-

POW!

One bullet, straight through his shoulder, and Mordecai hit the ground, clutching the wound while he turned and looked up, a pair of soulless brown eyes staring back at him through a vantage point tucked snug between the trees. “Sage!” He called, a painful groan. 

The next thing Mordecai knew, there was a carcass of a man laying next to him, chest cavity ripped open and multiple organs having been removed. Did... did she do that? He thought, trying to focus on something other than the pain surging through his right shoulder and arm. He was soaking wet, barefoot, and injured. This wasn’t going the way he’d planned it, and that piled frustration on top of his wounded pride.

[I] “Heya, Space Cowboy, you called for a rescue?”  
Sage singsonged from behind him, breathing in sharply through her teeth when she noticed the blood seeping through his hands. “I got held up by one of them trying to get over here- I am so, so sorry,” She sputtered apologetically, furrowing her eyebrows together while she used her shirt to keep the wound from bleeding. “Did they hurt you anywhere else...?” 

Mordecai weakly shook his head and leaned on her, his voice wheezy. “I really fucked the shot, didn’t I?” He tried to make the words fall like a joke, but they thudded hard. “Yeah, n-no, I’m fine; shoulder hurts like a motherfucker though.” He grumbled, the pain thudding in his head.

“You took some gunfire, I’ll sew you up brand new when we get back to camp, but,” Sage chuckled dryly. “You’re not walking all that way barefoot.” She had been quick enough to grab her boots, but chose not to wear socks. “What were you thinking, you crazy fuck? You could’ve gotten yourself killed going after him barefoot like that.” 

“Yeah, well, I fucking didn’t, so what’s the problem, then?” Mordecai snapped, instantly regretting it when a flash of genuine hurt made its way across her face and she instantly went silent. He knew she was just trying to help, but God, “Sometimes you are just so overbearing!”

He hadn’t noticed he had spoken aloud until she made a noise akin to a skag pup being kicked by its owner. He had hit some nerves; dug his nails into wounds that hadn’t healed.

“I’m sorry-“

“Let’s just go.”


	7. believe in you

The walk back to camp was silent, and, out of spite, Mordecai held his hunting boots in one hand and his rifle in the other, remaining barefoot. The autumn weather was nice, with a gentle breeze blowing in from the east. His shoulder still stung, and he wasn’t looking forward to having Sage operate on him in this state.

“Come on, Sagey, you know I didn’t mean it like that,” He tried again. “I just- I don’t know! I don’t know why I said that-“ Mordecai was lying; he had been speaking in the moment and that was the first hurtful thing he could have thought of at the moment. “- talk to me? Please? I don’t want you stabbing me with a needle when you’re angry.” He sounded desperate, but this was growing old quick. Mordecai apologized, she should move on; it was simple as that, wasn’t it?

Sage turned around and glared, her face stained with tear streaks. She hadn’t been talking because she’d been quietly trying to stifle the crying from their conversation moments earlier. “Then do it yourself, so I don’t fuck it up,” She hissed, crossing her arms over her chest. She was still sore, and remained that way until she could storm into their shared tent and change into dry clothing. While in there, Sage checked on the little egg, still in its makeshift nest of dirty clothing.

“You’re way better company than him, anyways, little dude.” 

She threw her wet garments in the his corner and breathed heavily through her nose, trying to steel herself before facing Mordecai again- perhaps she’d apologize (at least, better than he did). After another two minutes, she finally decided she was ready and unzipped the tent, stepping out and holding her medical kit- namely, a needle and thread. Sage cleared her throat. “Come sit here, so I can dig out that ugly bullet.”

Mordecai nodded idly and sat down in front of the fire, aimlessly typing on his echo and thoroughly ignoring every word she said. “I’m having a friend come over later, so if you wanted to play nice, maybe I’d let you meet her.” He was still irate as well. “Her name is Moxxi. Runs an Underdome? Well, she was bartending at the competition, so when everyone left...” 

Sage perked up at the mention of a guest and hurriedly set a pair of tweezers into the wound, trying to withdraw the bullet. He squirmed painfully. “Hey, keep talking, alright? You were telling me about Moxxi?” It was growing difficult for her to feign enthusiasm, and she wasn’t certain why. “So when everyone left...?”

“I went back, got a few drinks,” Mordecai said, groaning in pain when she started to sew up the wound. “Might’ve gotten her echocode. She’s fuckin’ hot, it’s almost impossible.” He went on, rolling his eyes to emphasize how bodacious this woman was. “You’re gonna love her, Sage. I swear, we could start a Mordecai harem- well, just Moxxi.” 

“... that sounds like a plan.” Sage chuckled dryly, her chest heaving . “I wish I could stick around, but, ah, I’ve gotta turn in that job to Dahl before they come after me. Maybe I’ll be able to catch her later.” She pat his shoulder lightly. “All done. I’ll see you later.” Without another word, Sage was gone.

“Be safe, kid.”


	8. bartender

“Be safe, kiddo.”

The words fell dead on her ears as she headed out, her gun clutched so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Sage knew, deep down, that she had completely overreacted; she should have apologized, or just accepted his. She had made such a big deal of nothing, and the thought only continued to make her angry. 

She’d knew little of Moxxi, heard the name multiple times in her travels across the universe. Perhaps they’d exchanged polite conversation and a shot of tequila once, but the most she knew was that Moxxi could put on one hell of a killer show, and was voluptuous and beautiful. Moxxi’s face was plastered all over Pandora, there was no mistaking that much.

She had also heard of the Underdome; it had effectively replaced the interstellar competition once it had reached enough people, but Sage had to admit it was nice to see a woman reach the top. She shook her head and chuckled at her own thoughts, sneaking off into the wasteland to focus on the hunt; Sage was starved for good company; dead or alive. She could see birds circling the skies above her, and quickly found a place to hide before beginning to shoot them down. It was easy to get overwhelmed with the hordes of murderous birds, but Sage managed with a smile on her pretty face. It was therapeutic, watching the corpses crack and hit the ground, as if they were mini-quakes.

Sage grinned and overlooked her work, counting a total of eight dead Rakk so far, one for every day she continued to waste her time here; dangerous seeds of bitterness and jealousy had planted themselves deep inside of her core, leading her down a scary road of overthinking. Parts of her tried to reason with the irrational course of thought, but it was to no avail. When Sage was upset, rationale and reason went out the window; and Sage could not place why she was so angry and bitter in the first place. She felt incredibly guilty, but at the same time, also didn’t feel a need to apologize. She decided to stay gone longer, perhaps get her thoughts together.

[I] Why do I feel like this? Why am I so angry with a woman I’ve probably never met. I know I’m being stupid, she doesn’t deserve that! Moxxi is clearly successful, and there’s no good reason for me to compare myself to her!

The inner pep talk really helped with Sage’s crisis of confidence, at least momentarily. The time spent alone left her with her wandering mind; too wandering. She catastrophized when she thought too much, and chose instead to focus on the prize in front of her- an outpost teething with bandits, begging to shot and looted. She eagerly licked her lips, the taste of liquor still on them.

I still want that kiss.

God damn it! Sage felt sad all over again, the threat of tears pricking harshly at her eyes. She fought it off and circled around, able to smell the burning campfire from her position and turning away last second. How long had she been alone with her thoughts and rifle now? It must have been four hours, maybe five? It was well into the night, she knew that much. 

Sage couldn’t stop thinking about Mordecai and how very little she truly knew about this man who seemed to live in her head. She could only guess he was in his early to mid-twenties, like she was, but things like his birthday? She had no clue, she’d never asked. Sage made a note, that when this was all behind them, perhaps she’d ask. With night growing ever darker, and her mind foggy with regret, Sage knew that it was time to head back to camp. She was vulnerable when she couldn’t think straight.

The fire was still smoldering when Sage got there, but the first thing she noticed was... all of her things were outside. Blankets, sleeping back, pillow. They’d been set on top of a tiny cot by the fire; at least he’d had the common courtesy to keep her things off of the ground, but that eliminated whatever benefit of the doubt she was going to give to Moxxi. She was seething as she flopped on the twin-sized excuse for a bed.

Mother. Fucker.

Moments later, Mordecai would unzip the tent and pop his head out, shirtless. It made Sage sick, and she didn’t roll over when he came out. “Hey, hey Moxx! This is the girl I was telling you about, come meet her!” He had an odd look on his face and was grinning widely from ear to ear. 

“Hahaha, sugar, I’m only half-dressed.”


	9. Drift Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sage meets Moxxi.

Sage felt her stomach dropped when she saw the woman who exited the tent after Mordecai, her body curvaceous and sculpted. She was certainly nothing to turn her nose up at, and it was clear by the smile on Moxxi’s face that she had interrupted something. She looked so proud of herself, like a peacock strutting. 

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance, sugar~ name’s Moxxi, I’m sure I’ve seen you around somewhere,” Every word she spoke dripped from her parted lips like honey, and it made Sage sick. Were they simply throwing it in her face now? “Oh! Did I tell you how I met Mordecai? Of course I didn’t- sit down, honey, you’re gonna love this story!” She commanded respect, had a way with words, too.

Sage glanced over and saw the way he looked at her, how Mordecai’s eyes softened when she spoke and how he hung on every word. She felt an aching pain reach into her chest while she watch the two interact, chittering like hummingbirds. Without a word, Sage pushed down this pain and sat by the fire, grabbing an entire bottle of tequila to help her get through what was sure to be one hell of an origin story. She refused to meet Mordecai’s eyes despite him throwing lingering glances her way. 

[I] Why won’t you look at me?

“So, I’m sure you’ve heard of the Underdome, right? Just about anyone who’s anyone has,” Moxxi started. “Well~ after his little debut at the sharpshooting competition, word got around that Mordecai doesn’t play nice- and I thought to myself, I absolutely had to find him.” So, they’d definitely spent a lot of time together, and slowly, very slowly, Sage starting piecing things together. 

She wanted out.

[I] Now.

She shifted uncomfortably and tried not to let it show on her face. Sage wanted Mordecai to be happy, but... god, this was awful. One thing was certain, if she knew where his mouth had been, she sure as hell didn’t want that stupid kiss anymore. She only half-realized Moxxi was still talking and glanced up numbly. 

“... and the main prize?” Moxxi giggled after having talked for a full minute without stopping. “Well, you’re looking at her,” She blinked, batting her eyelashes slowly while she spoke. “Mordecai bailed out the first time, so,” She scratched the back of her neck with a small smirk on her face. “When he came around again about three months ago, well, he had a promise to make up.” Moxxi giggled. “And how could I say no to that face? I came running when he finally gave me a call and cashed in that rain check. And hooo, baby, does he pack a punch!”

Sage stood up, brushed off her pants, and cleared her throat. “I am- wow. That’s incredible! Good for you! I am *so* happy you two found each other,” She didn’t know where this was coming from, but Sage had enough of hearing Moxxi drone on about Mordecai and her stupid Underdome; she wanted to burn it to the ground if she could. “I’m not ready for this conversation. It was *really* nice meeting you, but I have to leave. Now.” Her voice shook and broke like fragile glass, leaving its poisonous shards of bitterness and hurt. “Have a nice night, Mordecai, enjoy your cheap prize.”

Mordecai stared incredulously at Sage, flinching slightly when she snapped at him. “Don’t fucking start with me, Sage! You’re the one who’s been acting like Moxxi personally did something to you- well, she didn’t. I don’t know what the hell your problem is, but is this really the way it’s gonna be? I can’t have other friends ‘cos you’re jealous?”

[I] “I’M NOT FUCKING JEALOUS!”

Sage had never gotten so loud, and her rage could shake the ground beneath them. She turned to face him, her chest puffed out slightly while she stared him down. “What’s there to be jealous of? You played me like a fiddle and I let you-“

“I *played* you? Where did you get in your cute little head that we were ever an item? Or anything at all?” Mordecai was exhausted and embarrassed. “Just *go* if you’re going to leave, I have a date to get back to.” He nodded towards Moxxi, then the tent.

Moxxi looked guilty, like she’d done something wrong despite simply being the middleman. Sage clearly had feelings for him- real, actual feelings... she just wanted to have a little bit of fun. In an attempt to escape, Moxxi headed towards the tent. Sage wouldn’t let this go, not for a while. She glared at Moxxi as she nervously sauntered past, then huddled inside the shelter. 

“What are you doing still here?! I said go! Just fucking leave, Sage! You ruined the *one* thing I had going for me, and for what? A stupid kiss? It didn’t mean anything anyways! You just- god, did you really spend all day moping because you have a *crush*?” Mordecai was talking because he was hurt, because he was angry and because he felt betrayed by her. Sage was supposed to be his friend and she was making him out to be an asshole.

_Whimper._

“I-I’m sorry-“


	10. You and I

“What was that about, sugar?” 

Moxxi sounded concerned. She had seen the fire being lit in the redhead’s eyes as she angrily sauntered away, ruined and hurt. Moxxi figured it would be hours, if not days, until they’d see the young mercenary again, and she could see the pain clearly on Mordecai’s darkened face.

He couldn’t remember why they were fighting, or what their yelling match had solved. He looked up at Moxxi with his eyebrows knitted, his chest still bare, rising and falling. The anger had subsided by now, and all that was left was a pit of guilt growing in the center of his stomach. Maybe- maybe she hadn’t ruined everything? Mordecai regretted saying that immediately after the words had left his mouth. What was he thinking? Plain and simple, he wasn’t thinking at all. Mordecai rubbed his face with his hands in frustration and glanced over at Moxxi, who was laying and facing him. 

“Just an old friend, if I can even call her that anymore,” Mordecai grumbled, sliding on a pair of sweatpants before huddling under the mess of blankets and sheets that had been tangled together. “Sage... never usually acts like that. She’s usually really funny, and smart and shit. Not that- I don’t know what that was but that wasn’t my girl.” He sighed. “I’m sorry, Moxx.” He buried his head into the woman’s collarbones and kissed them delicately, sighing. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this.”

Moxxi chuckled softly and ruffled Mordecai’s hair, then shook her head. She could see just how distressed he felt, then frowned to herself. “What do you mean? I got what I wanted, didn’t you?” She cocked her head, letting her hair cascade down one shoulder. She studied Mordecai’s reaction closely, a small grin tugging on her lips. “What was this supposed to be like?”

[I] No, actually, I didn’t.

Mordecai thought, sighing softly. “Yeah, more than once~” He tried to break the tension with humor, but the joke fell dry, even from his lips. “I-I dunno.” Mordecai eagerly reached for a cheap bottle of wine, drinking it straight from the bottle before passing it Moxxi’s way. Her lipstick got everywhere- the bottle, his neck, his clothing... it would serve as a killer reminder of his time with the venerated bartender. “What do you want from me, Moxx?” He asked suddenly, looking over at her with a peculiar expression. “You lookin’ for a bed more permanent than this?” He asked, a dopey smile prominent on his features. Maybe it was the lighting, or the alcohol, or the fact he’d just lost his....

Her. Whatever she was.

Moxxi caressed Mordecai’s cheek with a hand and purred softly. “Aren’t I supposed to be asking you that, sugar? You did win the Underdome~” She blinked and yawned quietly. “But if you’re too tired, why don’t you just snuggle on up and keep me warm for the night? If you’re nice- heh, well, as nice as you can be- I might just still be here in the morning.” She teased. “But I can’t promise.”

_I haven’t had a decent sleep in two days..._

“Moxx, you never answered me- where are we going from here?” Mordecai asked, cocking an eyebrow. “This isn’t it, is it?” He was starting to feel anxious now; this was a topic to have been discussed beforehand, but everything had moved so quickly that Mordecai hardly had time to process it. He and Moxxi had spent so much time together, why wouldn’t she want to be in a steady relationship?

Moxxi began giggling. “Ohhh-ohohoho!” She snorted and put her hands over her mouth. “Oh sugar, you’re lucky you got as far as you did and that I’m giving you an all access pass- but this? This ends after tomorrow,” She explained, wrinkling her nose. “I’m sorry, but no; I don’t want any relationship with anyone.” She hated to break it to him, but... she saw the way Sage looked at him, how explosive and passionate their emotions were. She hadn’t planned on staying long.

She wished she could’ve kissed that heartbroken look off of Mordecai’s face. “Awwwh, don’t look at me like that. You’re not thinking straight, sugar. I told you this wasn’t anything serious.” She pouted as Mordecai stared at her.

“B-but Moxx! Moxx, I have- I feel for you. You make me feel... god, I can describe it. You make me feel- I think...”

“Hm?”

“I love you, Moxx. I want you to be mine.” Tears were starting to prick viciously at his tired eyes. “Moxxi...?”


	11. Indebted

//Cassidy does not belong to me! Cassidy is my friends character, not mine!

Fuck... I should’ve brought a jacket.

The temperature had dropped drastically when Sage turned and left, and it would only grow colder as the night went on. She had not thought this through for a moment, and left without any of her camping gear; no blanket, no emergency shelter... She was truly left out in the cold. Sage could easily turn around, grab what was left of her belongings and never, ever look back. It was that easy, wasn’t it?

But, that would mean facing Mordecai and his perfect, blown-up new girlfriend. The sound of her name, even in Sage’s mind, made her stomach churn with anger. She knew that none of this fell on Moxxi’s shoulders, but another part of her argued that maybe it was easier to just say the altercation was her fault, that he had been stolen from her. One of the many, many hurtful things that had stuck during their outburst of emotion was that he knew how she felt, and for how long? It hadn’t been but a month or so since the two had started camping and hunting together.

The long road ahead of her was winding and full of danger, not to mention Sage was positively freezing. She wanted to go home and get warm, curled up with her stupid, talkative, and probably drunk teddy bear. He made her feel... warm, safe, comfortable; Mordecai was the home she went back to every day. Maybe this was why things had felt ripped from her hands when Moxxi entered the picture; how she enamored and entranced Mordecai every time she talked. Oh god, and the way he looked at her-

Pew, pew pew! Pop!

Fuck.

Sage was roused from her aching thoughts by the echo of close-range gunfire; she could see one whizzing past her ear, much similar to the gunfire that had reunited her and Mordecai in the first place. She desperately wished he was here; although they may have hurt each other, she still cared deeply about him. 

“Hey, punk! Better watch yourself!” 

A voice from behind her again snapped her brain back into focus, just in time to feel a bullet puncturing her arm and exiting. She screamed loudly in pain, dropping her pistol and headed downward. Sage could hardly see through the white-hot agony rippling through her arm, but... were those fireballs? No, no! Impossible. It must be the delirium setting in from the frost bite on top of her new wound.

She couldn’t stop now. She could see the shadow of a man looming near her, his aura bright as the sun itself. Things were getting darker, she was getting weaker by the minute; once she knew she wasn’t going to be shot to death, Sage collapsed and rolled onto her back, seeing nothing but an angel in front of her- well, the closest thing to it.

“Hey, kiddo, you still breathing? You took some major fuckin’ gunfire,” He said, bending over to inspect her- was she an ally or foe? Given that she was bleeding and on the edge of death, the stranger supposed he could wait until she was able to speak clearly without her choked gurgling. “Alright, you’re coming with me.”

“Pl-please don’t hurt me, sir- I’m only looking for help... fuck, it’s so cold. My-my name- my name is S-Sage.”

“And I’m Cassidy Apollo, your guardian Angel for the night. You’re welcome.”


	12. Prayer

_“Heeey, there you are. You’ve been asleep for a minute.”_

A soothing voice roused Sage from her sleep, one that had left her aching. She didn’t know where she was, just that she was finally out of the cold. She could tell already she was in someone’s house, probably on their couch. Slowly, Sage’s eyes fluttered open and a beautiful man stood in front of her, waving a bowl of steaming hot soup in her face. “T-thank you? Who are you and where am I?” She asked, despite taking the food without reluctance and digging in, letting the food warm her stomach. It tasted absolutely awful, but she didn’t care. She was simply thankful to be alive.

“Cassidy Apollo, and you’re in my house.” He explained, and the first thing Sage noticed was the swirling pattern of Siren tattoos decorating his arm. “What the hell were you doing without a jacket, anyways? It’s damn near freezing out there.” He flopped down next to her while she finished up, and it was about two minutes before Sage was able to think clearly. It was clear that she was distraught, tired, and probably well on her way to getting sick from the experience.

Sage laughed softly and ran a hand through her hair. “I got into a fight with someone who means a lot to me,” She said, embarrassed. “I got angry and took off without taking any of my stuff; the guy I was staying with had some chick over,” The memory of what had transpired was only making her feel melancholy. “So, instead of just... pushing my things over, they were gonna make me sleep out there anyways while they... yeah.” 

“What the fuck?! Who?! GIVE ME A NAME. Who does that to their friend?!” Cassidy snapped. 

“His name is Mordecai, I don’t think you’d know him, honestly.“ Sage started. “Someone named Moxxi is staying with him-“

 _ **“Where is that motherfucker staying?!”**_  
Cassidy growled, balling his fists while his Siren tattoos angrily, enticingly glowed. “I have some unfinished business with him; that asshole and his best friend kidnapped me and nearly fuckin’ killed me, but leaving you out alone for a two-a-penny girl like Moxxi? That’s insulting.” He slammed his fists on the dinner table and wrinkled his nose as Sage flinched. “I’m sorry about that- lemme grab us a drink or three, then we’re going to *fix* this.”

Sage chuckled and shook her head, although she was never one to turn down a drink. “You don’t have to do that for someone you just met, Cassidy,” She followed him to the kitchen, where he set out two shot glasses and poured them full of whiskey. “I can’t force him to have feelings for me, you know? I’m going to get my stuff tomorrow, leaving, and never coming back.” She sounded bitter, even as the whiskey warmed and burned her throat. 

_”Stop being mopey, grab your damn gun, and come with me. We’re getting your shit back and I’m getting revenge for what he did to me.”_

To Cassidy, this was personal. Although he’d just met this girl, he felt the inherent need to try and keep her safe- moreso than her so-called muse had. He was aflame with rage and now was the time for payback. He slipped Sage a coat as well, and the two headed back into the night, once they had made themselves a vehicle to keep them warm. Once in the car, Cassidy glanced over. “So, how did you two meet? If I can ask.”

Sage tried not to smile. “We had a brief meeting at a shooting contest; maybe three minutes at the most, but he made such a lasting impression. H-he was funny, and kind, and like, stupidly charming. Mordecai promised me drinks after, but he was unfairly disqualified and I didn’t see him again for another year! About a week ago, I came here for a mission and I, well, let’s say I found him. It was like we had never been apart.” Her eyes were welling with tears. “But then, you know what I found out? He went back to the same competition for freakin’ Moxxi. She told him about her stupid fucking Underdome and then they decide to get more close than two mice sharing a sock,” Sage shook her head bitterly. “What an ass. He promised me a kiss for- I don’t even remember.”

Cassidy snorted. “You have it bad for him, don’t you?” He could see the bright, glowing aura of the campfire from his position in the technical and sped towards it. “You’re not gonna like what I’m fixing to do to your man- or, maybe you will. You seem like the type of girl who likes revenge. Or, in your case, vengeance. This the place, Red?” He asked, feeling a small twang of sympathy as she nodded and stared out the window, almost paralyzed. She didn’t want to get out and face him yet again, but steeled herself and carried on with it anyhow. She loudly exited the technical, slamming the door and making sure to capture their attention.

_”Hey, pendejo, remember me?!”_

Cassidy called loudly, his tattoos glowing as he approached and yanked Mordecai out of his sitting spot, one hand wrapped in his locs and the other bringing his head down to meet Cass’ knees. “That’s for kidnapping me and treating me like shit,” He singsonged. Mordecai stumbled back, holding his bloody nose. 

“What the fuck?!” He went to throw a punch, but it missed and only send him flying forward. “Who the fuck ARE you?! You don’t even know me- aaargh!” Mordecai tried fighting back, but he was clearly inebriated. “THE FUCK DO YOU WANT?!” He looked up at Cassidy from where he was on all fours and wheezed. “I don’t know you- I don’t- achhhh!” Now Cass was on top of him, laying down punch after punch with reckless abandon. He had enough of Mordecai’s shitty attitude, and he knew for certain the other male remembered being an accomplice in the kidnapping.

He started kicking at the ribs.

Sage wasn’t sure when, or if, she should step in. “Hey, hey! That’s enough! Back off, Cass, he learned his lesson,” Her voice came out a hoarse, mousy squeak, but that was all it too for Cassidy to get off of Mordecai. “Come on,” She offered her hand out, cocking her head. “Take my hand, get up, and I’ll grab you a fresh set of clothes and a towel. You’re bleeding everywhere.”

_”UUggggghhh, FUCK YOU APOLLO!”_

Mordecai angrily spat blood and leaned on Sage, huffing and trying to catch his breath. “I deserved that... fuck, ow-“ He clutched his nose and looked at her weakly. “- I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything- shiiit-“ Sage escorted him back into the tent, and to her surprise, Moxxi had already left. She’d been gone for hours, but, truth be told, Sage had no concept of time. “- I am so, so sorry, I fucked this entire thing up,” He sighed and sat on the makeshift bed as Sage disappeared again, groaning and exploring the multiple wounds he’d accrued from the beating.

Cassidy was standing by the fire, radiating nothing but pride and power. He chuckled and shook his hand, then flexed it. “You’re good, Sage. Too good for him, and too good for this planet. I would’ve just left his ass to bleed in the dirt,” He said casually, a large grin on his face. “I’m gonna leave you to patch him up, a’ight?” He went over and wrapped his arms around the shocked girl in a tight hug. “If he does anything, ANYTHING at all you don’t like, shit, if he looks at you the wrong way, you know where I live.” He said. “I expect to see you soon, got it, Red?”

“Got it.”


	13. Sugar

//short chapter because I’m tired and didn’t wanna write :)

“Owwwh, fuck- Sage, what the hell did you tell him?!” 

Mordecai whined loudly once they were safely inside the tent. He couldn’t argue that perhaps this was divine intervention, and hardly flinched when she started prepping old t-shirts and alcohol pads. His face was on fire with pain, and all he wanted was a tall drink. “Are you satisfied, at least?” He grumbled bitterly, glancing up at her and sighing. “Sage- Sagey, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry for everything,” Mordecai hissed lowly as the rubbing alcohol was applied to his busted eyebrow, his hands clenched around the mess of sheets. His face was a bloody, bruised, swollen mess.

“I know, me too,” Sage responded quietly, inspecting the damage. Mordecai looked pretty fucked up, and this was her fault. Cassidy, he had gotten his message across ten fold. For over a year, Mordecai had tried to forget what he’d done; how much good he thought it would do. When he’d kidnapped Cassidy, it was under the premise that he’d just be asking a few questions, playing good cop-bad cop. It was supposed to have be an easy job, but Cassidy put up one hell of a fight. He still had the scar from when the Siren had bit him in order to get free. 

“I just- Mordy, you left me in the snow. You treated me like I was a fucking dog you were ready to abandon. If you don’t want me around that’s fine, but just tell me so I can get my stuff and leave.” She responded. “I’m sorry- I didn’t know Cassidy knew you, or that you... had an altercation before. I was upset because you *hurt* me,” Sage felt awful now, but at least the two were talking it out. “I mean, you called me overbearing. That was really hurtful and it made me feel like total shit. We’ve been living in the same spot for a month, you know? I thought I meant more to you than that.”

Mordecai pressed his forehead against Sage’s and let out a shaky breath. “You do- you really do. I don’t know what I was thinking saying that; I regretted it as soon as I said it and I should’ve apologized then, but I didn’t because I was scared. And I’m still scared- Sagey, I did something stupid,” He was jumping from subject to subject; trying not to focus on any one thing for too long. “I told Moxxi I loved her,” Sage was glad he couldn’t see the look of utter heartbreak that glazed her features. “She didn’t say it back, said something about not wanting commitment,” He bit his lip. There was so much that had gone down between Moxxi and Mordecai that he hadn’t told Sage. “I felt so stupid, man,” He laid down, wincing. 

Sage didn’t know what to say; hearing him open up made her desperate to help him. He deserved better than this, even if he fucked up every so often. “Honey, you’re not stupid. She was playing games with you; she wanted one thing, one thing only, and she got it.” She bluntly stated. “If you want, I can call in another favor to Cassidy and have her dragged by her wig,” She laid down next to Mordecai and turned. “I’m sure he’s just itching to kick someone’s ass again.” She chuckled softly and stretched out, finally feeling at home again now that her things were back in place.

Mordecai was deep in thought, and it was a while before he found it inside him to speak again. “I think I’ve had enough of this wasteland. We’ve been fuckin’ around here for a month. I want you to go with me-“

C-caw!!! Cawcaw!!

They’d both forgotten, momentarily, about the egg.


	14. Parental Supervision

“If it’s hatching, do-do you need a towel? Milk, or something? I don’t wanna have to milk a skag-“ Sage leaned over the slowly hatching egg, her eyebrows furrowed in worry. “-maybe I could call Cassidy?”

“NO! We don’t need Cassidy involved! It’s a bird, it’s not that hard! Go grab a pillow!”

Mordecai huffed angrily at the mention of Cassidy’s name and joined Sage, getting on his knees and unzipping the tent. “It’s too hot in here for a bird; any bird. It’s gonna get pretty chilly in here, but the chicks have gotta be kept at twelve Celsius.” He threw together a makeshift nest, carefully inspecting the Trash Eater egg without touching it. “I’m surprised we’ve managed to keep it alive this long.” Mordecai sounded surprisingly proud of himself, growing more excited when he heard the shell beginning to crack and split. “Sage! Sage, hurry, it’s hatching!”

She placed a pillow in his lap, and watched with eyes full of wonder as a tiny head broke through the layers of egg. Mordecai smiled widely, point at it with both index fingers as if she couldn’t already see it. “Yes, yes I know! We hatched a baby bird! We’re bird parents,” His enthusiasm for this tiny creature was infectious, and although they’d had enough on their plates already... this was a welcome challenge. “What’re you gonna name him?” She asked, cocking her head and gazing at the chirping chick Mordecai held gently between his palms.

“Bloodwing!” He said, feeling his chest swell with pride. Mordecai leaned his head on her shoulder, and Sage cupped her hands around his, staring at their new addition. Her hands were soft and warm, and he didn’t notice she had been talking again. The bird chirped weakly, a musical noise foreign to the harsh atmosphere of Pandora; they both knew to enjoy it now, as it wouldn’t last long. “He’s a trash eater; they’re cousins to corpse eaters, so they can be trained as chicks.” Mordecai explained, holding the baby bird close to his face and cooing to it.

Sage felt it, a beautiful budding feeling that started in the pit of her stomach and warmed its way up her chest. He was growing soft over a bird? She couldn’t help but melt inside and watch, her eyebrows furrowed together as her hands remained on top of his. She squeezed gently and laid her head against Mordecai’s, glancing at him, then at Bloodwing. “You’re in love with that little guy, aren’t you?” She murmured, her voice low and calming.

“Yeah,” Mordecai purred. “Halfway through his life, he’ll switch genders. Bloodwing is a unisex name, and it sounds badass,” He turned his head to watch Sage, who was now eagerly throwing their belongings into bags. “Saaage? What- what are you doing?! Come help me parent this damn bird!” He pouted, pressing Bloodwing close to his face and pouting dramatically. “It’s crying for it’s mother, Sage!”

Sage shook her head and giggled wildly. “Yes, and you’re right there. You’re it’s bird mom. I’ve been thinking about this, and I’m getting bored of camping here. We’ve gotta hit the road soon; the longer we stay somewhere, the more danger we’re in. You’ve gotta have friends somewhere else? And besides, with the bird? It’s not cuddling up next to me, that’s for sure,” She commented, yawning. “You think you can handle yourself, me, and this killer Bloodwing? I just... I can’t stay in one place forever, and you know you can’t, either.” Sage was certainly trying to play this out. “Besides, you promised,”

“Promised what?” Mordy knew what she was heading at, but it was fun to see her blush. “What did I promise you?” He carefully set Bloodwing back on the laundry nest and smirked. 

Sage could hardly think straight. “You said we’d go traveling! You said you had to take what was yours in the universe,” She said with a groan, throwing herself over a suitcase and looking up at her friend expectantly. “And that you wanted me to go with you. Mordy, c’mon. Let’s travel, let’s explore the universe and stuff!” She tried not to sound too excited. “With our bird!”

“Yeah?” Mordecai quipped in interest, crawling close to Sage and gazing downward at her, trying to read her face. “I made more than one promise to you,” He felt drunk, words were slipping all over the place. “I know I haven’t always been the best friend to you, Sage, but I swear that’s gonna change, just give me a chance to prove it.”

“How...?”

Mordecai pressed his lips against Sage’s, reveling in the sweet taste of her kiss. 

”Did you really think I’d forget that kiss?”


	15. Wayward Hunters

// [Mia|http://aminoapps.com/p/glvbcs] belongs to one of the most amazing friends I could ask for- Phaselock!! ❤️

//There’s use of military phonetic alphabet here. MCJROTC stuck with me somehow XD and also, this is looking to be way more than 25 chapters... oops?

”Oh, I really hope this isn’t it for me!”

Mia had been floating in space for days now, with no gas and no spare engine parts. She was completely alone, and would soon be running out of oxygen. She felt the anxiety deep within, and felt desolate as she stared out the window. There was nothing to greet her but the vastness of space-

And the rattling of a lonely, bare spacecraft. Mia could hear the noise, but all around her was nothingness. The ship was a ticking time bomb, and she was melancholy to think about the days ahead. Eventually, the oxygen tank she had would be depleted, and she would run out of food. Mia started towards the center of her ship, placing both hands behind her head and pacing, staring at the digital map of the cosmos ahead of her. There were multiple shapes: stars, stripes that represented different asteroid belts, and an anomaly detector for things like black holes, cold spots, and stealth aircraft. “Nooo- no no no!” The astronaut worriedly tried to catch her breath, eyes darting all over, trying to find something besides her thoughts to focus on.

What was that noise?! Mia leaped out of her skin at the sound of angry, loud rattling. That must be the engine malfunctioning from the onslaught of space invaders that left her overwhelmed, with little other defensive measures. Mia felt hopeless, and all the crying seemed to be in vain. With shaking hands, she tried sending one final distress message, her voice choked and broken. “Th-this is M-Mia Carm-Carmichael-“ Before she was able to get the words out, her digital map began pinging, alerting Mia to a cosmic anomaly. “-what?” She wiped the tears from her eyes and glanced down to assure she hadn’t sent the SOS yet.

Mia could hear her heart rattling straight out of her chest as she inspected the screen. There was a tiny blip on her radar, and approaching quick. Another ship, and so soon? She felt panic rising in her chest and rushed to the pilot’s chair, smashing her hands against buttons to try and power up the turret, although it seemed that the neighboring craft remained quiet, like it was trying to stay out of sight. “Hello? Hello?” She called into her echo, tuning it to broadcast on radio. Hopefully, they’d hear her plea for help. “Please! Please, my name is Mia Apollo Carmichael, I’m in desperate need of oxygen and food,” Her voice crackled in the echo. “Can anyone hear me?”

“Yankee Echo Sierra, this is- Sage, shut up! I’m trying to TALK!” There was a man’s voice, laughing over the radio. Mia felt a huge weight come off her shoulders as she could now hear jovial commotion on the other end of the line. How long had it been since she’d heard someone’s voice live? “You jammed our radio, Stardust,” Mordecai chuckled, “Wanna take the midnight train outta hell? First stop Promethea, second stop is this little planet Urrnas.”

[I]”Oh my god, Mordecai, shut up! People are dying! Mia, is that your name? Hi, I’m Sage. I’m coming to get you and your sad, sad little spaceship. I’m gonna need you to meet me on the edge of the craft and leap onto this tin can’s wings. Try not to break them, I’m not sure how long that tape’s gonna last! I’ll be there to help you in a second.”

Although Mia was nervous about having to jump off of a floating, useless craft, she was more than grateful she wouldn’t die alone aboard. Normally, she’d refuse help, but these two had saved her life. She took a deep breath and steadied her nerves, crawling through the escape port atop the ship and grinning softly through her spacesuit; Mia could see Sage waving enthusiastically and holding what appeared to be a tether. 

“Alright, Mia, you got this! All it takes is a leap of faith!”

The astronaut nodded, feeling her heart steadily beating. This new friend was right, all it took was a leap of faith.

Mia jumped.


	16. Edge of Midnight

Just a leap of faith.

That was all it took for Mia to cross the barrier between ships, and land steadily in front of Sage and Mordecai, the two of them grinning nervously, it was clear Mia was still on edge, especially with them practically shoving her into the aircraft, but she was safe now, wasn’t she? She could hear her heart thudding loudly in her ears, waves of panic rushing over her and falling. The girl- Sage? Yes, Sage. That was her name; she was busy talking Mia’s ear off about something, about everything and nothing all at once. She was so excitable and lively that it surely was no surprise if she was a tad overwhelming at first!

Mia inspected the interior of the spaceship, her eyes wide in wander. It was small, but relatively cozy and could easily have fit another two passengers. “This is an Atlas ship! Where did you get a little thing like this? I-I-it’s nice!” She asked, poking her head into one of the two hallways and eyeing a kitchenette- one the size of a hotel-room kitchen. It was obvious this ship wasn’t Sage’s to begin with, probably scrapped or perhaps even stolen, but that wasn’t an issue now. “I-I can’t thank the two of you e-enough. I’m still a-a little shaken.” She said, running a hand through her hair and slipping off the helmet, setting it with the rest of the space equipment. “How long have you two been traveling? A while?” Mia tried to make small talk. “I’m from Jormangundr, took a few years to myself to enjoy space. My spacesuit was a gift from my family.” Mia spoke of them rather fondly, which was surprising. 

“Oh gosh, this old thing?” Sage chuckled. “Uhhhm, before all the Eridium fracking started, I think I stole this from a garage. I meant to take it for a joyride, but fate would have it I ended up fleeing Promethea. I’ve never heard of Jormangundr, is it far from here?” She wanted the spotlight off of her now; she could already see Mia asking questions she didn’t want to answer. “Anyways, Mordecai has a few friends visiting Promethea, so that’s where we’re headed to refuel. There’s a teeny guest bedroom right down the hall you’re looking at. It’s all yours if you want it!” Sage said with a crooked grin. 

Then, the ship started trembling violently, indicating there was a problem with the engine, they were being shot at, or both. Mordecai made a lunge for the laser turret controls and tried to ward the attacker off. “Heh, how do you like that, pendejo?!” He cursed excitedly under her breath while both Mia and Sage went for the controls. Mia slid into the pilot’s seat and sighed, feeling the controls and slamming the craft into drive, making way for the closest planet. “Ay! Adónde coño nos llevas?!” He hissed, now having to maneuver firing the laser turret backwards. They were still being shot at, more and more holes tinkering into the ship. 

Sage tried to pull up information on the planet who’s atmosphere they were steadily headed towards, but nothing was coming up- not even a rendered image of the planet’s terrain. It was as if it simply did not exist. “Hey, babes and Mia, we might have a teeny problem...” She said quietly, a disdained look on her tan features. “My database can’t find anything on this creepy planet,” She murmured, to ears that were much too busy to listen. “That’s so weird, this shouldn’t be possible! I’m buoying off of Hyperion’s database... what the fuck? Hey! Hey guys, where are we landing?!”

Mordecai tossed a worried glance over his shoulder and shrugged. “I don’t know, alegriá! Mia’s got the controls, I’m just clearing our way!” The atmosphere outside was bleak and foggy, with an oozing, bubbling swampland surrounding them. It seemed to be flowing with beautiful, bouncing orbs that caught Sage’s attention the moment she stepped foot onto the enigmatic planet. It seemed to have a supernatural hold on the redhead, taking her breath and making her simply want to run wild in this swamp’s outer woods. She wanted to chase those delightful orbs, and the flowers glowed just as bright. Mordecai would soon join at Sage’s side, using her shoulder as an armrest and eagerly peering into the nothingness. He could hear... something in the distance, but couldn’t put his mind to exactly what it was, but it certainly didn’t leave a good feeling in his gut. Despite his better judgment, Mordecai found himself eagerly following Sage and Mia. “We’ll try to get you back on the ship soon, Mia. You gotta be exhausted from the helluva day you’ve had.”

Mia chuckled and nodded, eagerly nudging Mordecai ahead. “It appears we don’t have a choice! Our captain’s already six hops ahead. Maybe this won’t take too long, I’m not very fond of this planet...” She shuddered and tried to maintain her composure. The chanting? Singing? The noise was getting closer and closer the more they ventured towards the center. Mordecai tried keeping up with Sage, trying not to show how concerned he really was for her, and having another person with them to protect... he was getting more stressed out the longer they trudged.

What waited for Sage at the center was a bustling, loud, extravagant party with beads, and lights- which would be the harvested tails of the murderous fauna that inhabited this planet. “Mordy! Mordy look, a party!” Her eyes were as wide as her smile. “Told you there was nothing to worry about! Can we go, come on please can we go party? Just for a while? We really need it-!” She pouted. 

Mordecai tried to push the feeling of impending doom down, storing it far in his chest, but it was nagging. It felt like they were being watched, hunted. Mordecai wanted to grab Sage and simply run. He smiled crookedly. There was definitely, definitely something to worry about on this planet.

But *what*? And how to get Sage to see it?


	17. Life of the Party

“I have an old friend, Alistair, who’d be obsessed with this weirdo planet. Look at the size of these paw prints- almost two people can stand in one.” Mordecai was adamant about carefully observing his surroundings, especially now that Sage had her mind made up about seeing what the ruckus downtown was. His boots were muddied and splashed with swamp mud, and he wanted nothing more than a hot bath and cold drink. “Estrella, where are you taking us, crazy woman?”

Mia couldn’t help but chuckle lightly and slap Mordecai’s arm. “You know, maybe a little celebration wouldn’t be too bad. She’s right, you know, and she’s so excited! We don’t have to stay for long, and if it really came down to it, I don’t mind staying with her for a while longer.” She smiled crookedly, but she could quickly tell that Mordy wasn’t keen on leaving the two of them alone. “Or you could try and reign her in, but the way she’s waking? I don’t think you stand a chance.” Mia giggled. 

“This planet just, I don’t know. It gives me a bad feeling,” Mordecai sighed. “I hate bringing her down, and I know she sure as hell ain’t gonna listen to me if I dare tell her ‘no’.” Mia found the way he spoke so subtly smitten with her quite endearing, and it helped ease the nerves they both felt. “What? Mia, why are you looking at me like that? I get I’m attractive, but c’mon.” He teased, finally catching up with his little fireball of a girlfriend. If he could call her that- Mordecai still wasn’t sure where they stood, but as long as it was together, he was fine with it. 

[I]Shit, I still gotta tell Brick about her. If we ever get off this planet alive. Hell, I ought to introduce her to old Allie, though I’d never hear the end of it from him. Or either of them. How long as it been? 

Mordecai was lost in his thoughts, how long *had* they been off on their own? They spent nearly a month on Pandora, and quite some time traveling together. Nine months, perhaps, maybe even a year? It was merely a few months ago that they’d had their lover’s quarrel over Moxxi, and although Sage had seemed to move on from it, Mordecai still felt a twinge of guilt. “Sage, mija, how long have we been traveling together?” He grabbed hold of his muse’s hand and felt his breath catch in his throat as they got to the source of the celebration. There was a huge, screaming, chanting, bustling crowd in front of them, and already Mia felt completely overwhelmed.

Dancers came towards the group and threw odd, glowing necklaces around their necks. “Hey, ve got outsiders!” One of the males said loudly, and Mordecai shoved his way in front of the two women, despite Sage’s argument that they seemed nice enough. The wave of drunken, smelly dancers was coming closer and was swallowing outsiders in the incoming tide. Mordecai turned his head for a moment to quip something to Mia. “Come dance wiv us, vittle fireball!”

[BI]”She’s not fucking interested!” 

Mordecai hissed angrily, drawing out his machete, but when he turned towards the scantily-clad group of men, they’d disappeared, and he couldn’t find Sage. There was only one place she need be right now, and that was next to him. He angrily retrieved his machete; Mordecai hadn’t felt this much bloodlust in ages, but there was danger lurking, and he needed to make sure Sage was safe, but it was nearly impossible to find her in the crowd. “Mia-! Mia, she’s gone- Sage was right here and now she’s not-“ Panic was laced in his voice despite best efforts to remained steeled. “-I don’t wanna lose her again!”

Mia sighed softly and rubbed her eyes. “Come on, then! We can’t find her just standing about. Let’s head towards the middle and work our way outwards. Look for those half-naked guys in beads!” She suggested, much to Mordecai’s chagrin. He was still holding his machete at the ready, and she lowered it with a hand. “You can’t kill anyone until we find her, you know that.”

”And then I slaughter anyone who even fucking dared-“

“A-and then you slaughter anyone who dared. Let’s go.”


	18. Savior

“Mordecai, help me! Mordy!” 

Sage was drowning in the waves of people, unable to see over the group who’d washed her away from the safety of Mordecai’s presence. Her voice was lost in the roar of the crowd, and she could hardly breathe with the people surrounding her. The panic was setting in; blood rushed to her head and she welt weakened. “Guys-guys I have to get back, my friends are looking for me!” The men ignored her cries, and one of them swiped a harsh-smelling ash across her forehead and eyes. 

“Za little fireball is ze perfect choice! Get ze driboro tails! Our Queen iz nearly ready!” 

Sage felt panic bubbling in her stomach, especially once another necklace of what she realized were actually tails of the native fauna wrapped taut around her stomach. She tried fighting her way out, but the men were nearly twice her size and a good foot taller than her. They spoke to the woman in tongues, in a language she could not begin to understand, and these once kind men now terrified her. They were slowly making their way from the gathering, deep into the swamp. 

_N-no! I don’t want to die this way, oh god, oh god they’re gonna kill me! Mordecai, Mia, I’ll never see them again!_ _Please, please find me, you two. I don’t wanna die like this. Not like this-!_

The fearless, brave, wild little Sage was now desperate. Tears stained her cheeks and the ash was now spreading further down her face. She felt alone, completely and utterly hopeless. “Where-where are you taking me?” Sage felt for her gun, but it had assuredly already been snatched during the events of the night. “HELLO?! Don’t fucking ignore me, assholes! LET! ME! GO!” She slammed herself against one of the men, almost managing to wiggle through. “MORDEC-“

The men had enough with her screams and cries, one of them slapping her so hard she saw double. She writhed and thrashed against them, using what was left of her willpower to battle these people off, but they outnumbered her in both strength and height. The leader, assumedly, brought his knee to her stomach and swiftly smashed in Sage’s ribcage with his boots. “Ze little worm is a fighter! The goddesses will be pleased with zis sacrifice!”

_**Please find me. Please dear god, someone find me.** _

—

”SAAAAGE! Fuck, Mia! I can’t find her anywhere! She isn’t fucking here!” Mordecai’s voice was a panicked, slurred mixture of emotion. He couldn’t think straight and although he hardly ever cried, Mordecai sure as hell wanted to. He was supposed to have protected her, and he didn’t. He was supposed to have kept her safe, and now there was a high likelihood she was dead.

_I should’ve told her I loved her. If I don’t hurry I’ll never have the chance. Fuck, I have to- I have to find her. Sage, I’m comin’ for you, I promise. I just hope you’re still alive._

Mia noticed Mordecai’s sudden, intense silence and tried her best to remain calm, but it was apparent that she was just as nervous as he. “I-I-I’m su-sure she couldn’t have gone far. L-like Sage said b-before, keep the fai-faith!” She kept her wits about her and looked around, then heard something rustling in the darkness and alerted Mordecai. “M-Mordy, I heard something!” She whispered hastily, taking the machine gun from her back holster and aiming it into the vast nothingness.

”I wouldn’t do that if I were you, little lamb. That would be a rather dangerous mistake.” 

A voice, calm and cool as the night, erupted abruptly from the darkness. The cold blade of a beautifully carved, silver dagger pressed sternly against Mia’s throat. 

“Please-please don’t hurt us!” She cried.

Mordecai turned around, but was immediately surrounded by knives. He growled lowly as the tip of a dagger was drawn across his throat, then up to his chin. “Who the fuck are you and what do you want?!” He sounded more panicked than angered, but that bothered the stranger not. “SHOW YOURSELF, COWARD!”

A girlish giggle seemed to come from all around them as slowly, very slowly, a thin, yet elegantly draped woman, with the upper half of her face covered by a black mask, and platinum hair that draped neatly over her shoulders. Compared to the people they’d encountered at that fake party, this beautiful woman was dressed like royalty, and was now holding them at knifepoint as well. She demanded their respect without saying a word.

“O-h dear, y-you’re a S-Si-Siren, aren’t you?” Mia was choking on tears, and almost mockingly, one of the daggers seemed to swipe it away, leaving a small cut on the astronaut’s cheek. “Mmmmkk-I’m sorry! We don’t mean any ha-harm! We’re just looking f-for our fri-friend!”

“What the *hell* did you do with her?!” Mordecai couldn’t hold his tongue, being here was a waste of time they didn’t have. He glared down at the knife at his throat and tried pushing it away. 

“Quiet. Now. How did you find this place?”

The Siren didn’t waste time on small talk, and instead cut straight to the chase, lowering the knives on Mia but keeping Mordecai’s taut. “It is not on any map or network in the galaxy.”

“We ran out of gas while being attacked by something directly above your atmosphere,” Mordecai huffed. “We needed to try and find a place to refuel and my girlfriend got distracted by that *stupid* party-“

“-what party?” The woman’s voice prodded. “The chanting, the harvested driboro tails?” 

“Y-yeah!” Mia cut in. “S-Sage wanted to g-go check it out, it seemed like fun. Th-then some-some m-men g-ganged u-up on h-her an-and we’ve-we’ve been loo-looking.” She wanted back on the ship now, she wanted this horrid party to be over. “Wh-what a-are driboros?”

The woman released the hold on Mordecai. “Those orbs? Those are driboro tails, nasty little beasts. That was *no* party, it was a ritual that was interrupted, and chances are we are already too late.” She started to walk, and despite their reluctance, Mordecai and Mia followed without hesitation. “You may call me Lenora. You’ve found yourself in the middle of Sabbath on the planet Urrnas.”

“Where are you taking us?” Mordecai snapped.

Lenora glanced over. “Do not test me, I can and will slaughter you on the spot. The ritual happens in the same place every year. I am going to help you, and then you’re going to leave here and never return or speak about what you saw.” A small grin split across her face. “It’s been some time since I was last able to do this, I’d say I’m helping myself more than you, and do keep silent. Driboros have awful sight. They rely on their hearing and their tails.” She explained coldly. 

“What’s this ritual for?” Mordecai asked, glancing all around him: those orbs were absolutely everywhere and it made him nervous. “They put ash on Sage’s face and covered her in some flowers.”

“It is a ritual to honor the Temple of Angels, and she was the unfortunate one to stumble into their trap. Now hush, we’re almost there and your temper cannot be the reason Sage dies tonight.” 

Mordecai kept silent.


	19. Lost and Found

The group of three eagerly circled around the loud, cawing mass of ritualists, Lenora’s wings spreading as the cries grew ever louder- the sacrifice was being prepared! A crown of driboros tails were placed over Sage’s head, their blood smeared in distinctive patterns over her cheeks and forehead. If it were any other situation, perhaps Sage would’ve been more excited to be dressed up. One of the men held a bubbling concoction under her nose, and covered her mouth so she would be forced to breathe in the potpourri.

”Temple of the Angels, we honor and pray for your grace by sacrificing an outsider, a murderess. In return, we ask that our harvests be bountiful and plenty, and our cups never emptied.” 

Sage’s head felt heavy, pounding. Her eyelids dropped and wind rushed and swirled around her ears; she couldn’t even think straight, let alone fight back. The men raised both of her arms and tied them together, then around a wooden pole that would serve as a makeshift stake. Gasoline was pooled around her ankles, which hung freely a few inches above the ground; above anything else, it was uncomfortable. She could see figures moving, bouncing, like cats prepared to pounce on unsuspecting mice. In this case, Sage was neither cat nor mouse. A faint glow caught her attention from what she could see via her peripheral vision, but Sage dared not to look too closely. “Don’t I get, like, last words or something?” She grumbled weakly, thinking back on everything that had so far transpired. So much had happened in the span of a year... and for it to all be taken away without even so much as a blink. “Come on, I know you can fuckin’ hear me!” 

Around the corner and watching the preparations, Lenora was seething with fury so strong it could have frozen a star. “Those men are thieves- the spoils were not theirs to take. They did not earn it, they stole it. They took it from the innocent,” Daggers floated in the heavy air, their sharp tips pointed towards the accused. “The two of you are instructed to stay back and stand down. Allow me.” Lenora’s waif-like figure seemed to stand still while she focused, feeling Sage’s anxiety and fears. She could help with that, too, but it would take a moment to gain her trust. Len pursed her lips and broke through the confines of Sage’s unconscious, speaking clearly, and with conviction.

”I am here to help you- you will not die at the hands of these men,” The voice spoke softly inside of Sage’s head. She groaned and glanced upwards, trying not to dwell too much on the pounding headache. “I need you to find your happy place for me, alright? Once you can find it, you’ll be safe under my wing, quite literally!” Lenora could feel the bubbles of serenity popping through the surface of fear and took complete control then, completely taking the captors by surprise! Knives seemed to pop out from everywhere, with Lenora’s voice the centerpiece. Once she’d cut the tie from Sage, she’d be tucked safely underneath Len’s wing until she could find a way to sneak off; she could practically feel the jealousy radiating from Mordecai and couldn’t help but feel just the tiniest molecule of pity- these humans were so sensitive to the silliest things! They’d have never gotten this far without Lenora’s aid.

“It’s an Angel!” 

The cultists were beside themselves, and had now taken notice that their virgin sacrifice was nowhere to found. They’d been so enthralled in the ritual, they’d not been attentive to the most important piece! Lenora scowled and pinned the group by their necks, the tip of a knife tracing along their jugulars. It was clear that their angel was not satisfied with the spoils they’d produced. There were no hasty exchanges of words, no pleading and begging for mercy. Lenora could taste the fear on the men’s lips, the salty taste of their terrified sweating. She gritted her teeth.

“You have failed not only I, but the entire Temple of the Angels. You did not earn the rights to this woman’s body, you did not EARN the right to sacrifice her. The Angels, we frown and weep at such a disrespect of our sacred rites and rituals.” Lenora’s voice never wavered or shook, but her rage was imminent and apparent on the lines of her pale face. With one quick, elegant motion, blood splattered and stained the steel of the dagger. “You have disappointed every single one of us. You, and your family will pay the price of what I will call Divine Intervention.” There was no response, aside from that of the choked gurgles from choking on blood and spit. Lenora took a step back and inspected her work, the bodies making a perfect circle. The fire still burned bright, smoke rising over the swamp and warding off the stalking driboros, and finally, she turned to speak to Sage, who was watching from a safe distance, huddled in Mordecai’s arms. The display was disgusting, but Len couldn’t blame her and even appeared regretful to interrupt. “I *do* hate to interrupt, this -ahem- reunion, but there’s still work to do. May I have your name?”

“I’m Sage!” The shorter woman greeted with grand enthusiasm, despite having nearly been sacrificed. “Thank you for what you did back there, I thought I was gonna be driboros food.” She laughed nervously and scratched the back of her head. “What... are you, exactly?” She asked, cocking her head curiously. The bird perched on Mordecai’s shoulder cooed and preened, now that it’s second owner was now back.

“I’m a friend. Now, what say we head back to your craft? I make a rather delectable pumpkin bread!” Lenora suggested, steering them away from the woodland. She could see the reluctance on Mordecai’s face and shook her head in disapproval, then sighed. “I’ll lead the way, but don’t expect a second rescue if you manage to get yourself kidnapped again,” She cracked a small, almost unnoticeable smile. Bloodwing cooed in agreement. “Be careful with her, the mix they made her inhale is a potent drug. She’ll most likely be asleep most of tonight and well into tomorrow,” Lenora’s lecture fell upon ears that refused to listen. “Don’t lose sight of me, I’m your only way out of here. Are we *perfectly* clear?”

“Crystal.” Sage responded without a second thought.


	20. Home Sweet Home

//Holy crap. It’s so weird to think this project started in... what, October? I didn’t think it’d become this, it was just meant to be a one-shot. Now it is my most beloved personal project, and I owe it to every person who’s read my work that I complete it with the same love and exuberance I started with. Enjoy this new chapter, baked with love. ❤️❤️

”You came back!” 

Sage’s voice was hoarse, but dripping with gratitude. She held onto his arm and trembled like a kitten, her chipped, painted nails digging into him- Mordecai didn’t mind, he was glad she was alive. He felt paranoid and uneasy; he partially considered lifting and carrying her just so she wouldn’t be taken again, but Mordecai knew that was paranoia. Despite his best efforts to resist it, he put one arm underneath Sage’s legs while the other supported her back; she squealed in terror the second her feet left the ground, but it wasn’t long before she laid her head against Mordecai’s chest and relaxed. “I’m not too heavy for you to lift, am I? I can walk,” She closed her eyes for just a moment, taking in the arrhythmic thumping of his heart. Sage wanted to say something witty, and if she weren’t so tired, perhaps she would have. Instead, all she could manage was a weak, melancholy “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to drag you into—“

”HSSSH! You’re alive, mí amor. That’s what’s fuckin’ important. It’s my fault; my one fuckin’ job was to keep you safe and I didn’t. I had to have some chick with dagger wings to come save you. That’s embarrassing, I should be the one apologizing to you.” Mordecai’s boots sank deeper into the swamp muck, and it was getting more difficult as every delicate moment passed to keep eyes on Mia and Len, who would soon disappear against the edge of the horizon. Mordecai cooed for Bloodwing to take sky watch so they wouldn’t get lost in this humid hell. Blood did a circle, letting the couple know they were still close enough to not be completely lost. Mordecai adjusted his grip on Sage and looked down at her- she smelled of gasoline and probably felt worse than she looked. A multitude of bruises covered her arms and she was too quiet to not have been tortured by the memories of what had recently transpired. He wished he had the words to say to her to make her forget; so many things Mordecai had sworn to himself he’d tell her. “Estrella, I want to get out of here. Tonight. If we stay here any longer, I’m afraid we won’t be able to get out.”

Sage tried to listen, but god, did she just want to sleep. Her body felt heavy to be in. She stared up at Mordecai with wide eyes, fighting off the sweet call of rest for just a few extra minutes. “We gotta talk to Len first,” She mumbled, her voice hardly louder than a whisper. “Ship’s broke and out of fuel,” Her chest heaved and tears dripped down the sides of her face. “Mordy, I wanna go home. I don’t wanna be here anymore.” Before she could control what was happening, before she even recognized what it was, Sage was bawling into his clothing. She felt horrible for making him come save her, she felt horrible for making him carry her... “I just wanna go home.” Guilt rocked her body, reaching deep into her essence and pulling from it the regret she’d been carrying. Everything came pouring out of her at once, an emotional volcano that was hell-bent in destroying everything in its path. She bawled and blubbered apologies that Mordy could only hope to understand.

Mordecai grunted and adjusted his hold, keeping her pressed taut against him. He needed to get somewhere they could rest, but the only safe place was their ship. “You are home,” He responded with a tone more gentle than the fluttering of butterfly wings. “You’re with me, and wherever you are is where my home is, no matter where we are,” He was never one for comforting speeches, but god, did he hate hearing her cry, especially considered how long she must have kept everything bottled in. “You must’ve been really scared, I’ve never seen you cry like this before.”

She nodded and responded with a choked sob. “I-I thought I was going to die. I thought I’d n-never see you, or M-M-Mia ag-again,” The rising and falling of her cries evened out, although it did not cease. She had a lot to cry for! “I’m sorry- I’m so sorry I took us to this stupid planet and it’s stupid party.” She started shaking again, but at least the two had successfully caught up with the rest of their power. Sage kept quiet, her face buried into Mordecai’s vest to keep hidden, although, to anyone it was obvious that Sage had been crying. Mia offered an understanding half-smile and didn’t bother asking what had taken the two so long. Instead, the weary astronaut sighed and nodded toward the ship, silently insisting they go first while her and Lenora spoke outside. Mordecai offered Len cash, guns, anything she could have wanted (whether or not he’d have had what she wanted was besides the point), but the Siren adamantly refused, and pointed to the opening hatch of the ship.

”Get her inside. Now! I don’t want to see you for the rest of the night!”

It had sounded harsher than meant, but Mordecai could see the value of it. Len wanted them to have their time, and he appreciated that. Without her, Sage would be very dead, and he made a mental note to thank her a thousand times the next time he got the chance; much of this adventure had really out things into perspective for the young rifleman. Sage needed to meet Brick as soon as possible- that was a huge priority. There were only so many things echo messages and calls could relay, and if this was serious, there was no more time to waste. Mordecai’s head pooled with thoughts as he nudged the cozy bedroom door open with his shoulder. Sage had fallen asleep pretending to be asleep. He chuckled softly to himself and let Bloodwing fly freely around the room while he set Sage up on the bed. Now that he could see, she had taken more of a beating than he had previously thought. “Jesus Christ, what did they *do*?!” 

Mordecai thought back to when he’d been beaten half to death by Cassidy and tried to remember how to bandage wounds when she had done it. He dug through one of Sage’s multiple bags and eventually came across gauze and a small shooter bottle of Everclear vodka. That’d work! He stripped himself off his shirt and dumped the vodka onto the cloth, then pressed it against a gash winding across her stomach; Sage momentarily woke from her drug-induced sleep to kick in protest and cry out in pain. Her eyes watered when he had to move to the next wound. Adrenaline was keeping her awake, but the shock made her want to pass out. “Squeeze my hand. Try and break it,” Mordecai paused for a minute to let her breathe. Blood was staining everything. “Come on, you can’t pass out on me yet.” Sage did as she was instructed to and squeezed with the last of her energy. Mordecai hardly felt it. “You got it, I’m almost done, little red. Just- one- more.”

That last one was the worst of all, but it was over as soon as it had stung. Her body was tired, and now she was going to sleep...

It gave Mordecai plenty of time to think. He crawled on what was deemed her side and rolled into her shoulder with his legs tangled between hers, and watched her until he knew it was alright to let himself fall into a dreamless sleep.


End file.
